


Living in a Time of Uncertainty

by shanachie



Series: 6 Feet Apart [1]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: M/M, Virus, keeping safe, stay at home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24086392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shanachie/pseuds/shanachie
Summary: Buck and Eddie have only ever wanted to live their lives and save people. Now there's something they can't fight and it's threatening their family.
Relationships: Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: 6 Feet Apart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1737730
Comments: 2
Kudos: 95





	Living in a Time of Uncertainty

**Author's Note:**

> This was born out of wondering how the 9-1-1 crew would deal with what our world is dealing with right now. Nothing graphic is mentioned, but be warned the "virus" is mentioned a couple of times.

Buck looked up as Eddie paced his way back into the living room, still speaking rapidly in Spanish. Every so often, Buck caught a word or phrase, but it was less about him not being fluent in the language and more he was missing half the conversation with Eddie’s pacing.

Finally, the other man finished his conversation, hanging up after assuring his grandmother, “ Estaremos en contacto. Te amamos.” Thumbing the phone off, he dropped onto the couch next to Buck. Rolling his head towards Buck, he said, “We gotta make a decision.”

“You gonna be okay with this?” Buck asked.

“This virus. This… sickness.” Eddie shook his head. “I can’t fight it. I can’t protect Christopher from it.”

Buck rested a hand on Eddie’s thigh, soothingly stroking up and down. In any other circumstance, Eddie would take it as a come on, but he knew Buck was just trying to be there for him. “What do you want to do?” Buck asked.

Eddie leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling. “I want to seal him in bubble wrap and not let him out until this is over.”

“Well, that’s not practical,” Buck pointed out. “He’d either starve or suffocate.” Moving his hand up to hold Eddie’s, he tugged the dark-haired man until Eddie slouched into him. “What are we going to do?”

Eddie squeezed his hand. “Abuela has opened her house to the familia . We can take Christopher to her. There’ll be enough people there that he won’t be a burden.”

“Just out of curiosity, how many people accepted  Abuela’s invitation?”

“Enough. Pepa will be there and some of the cousins. There’s not as many people here as there would be in Texas…”

“But Christopher will have people he loves around him,” Buck finished.

“But he won’t have us,” Eddie countered.

Buck turned, resting his forehead against Eddie’s. “You would be devastated if we brought something home to him.”

Eddie took a deep breath, nodded as Buck locked eyes with him. “I can’t risk him.”

“Then I think you’ve actually made your decision.”

Eddie pulled back, but didn’t let go of Buck. “We need to tell him.”

Buck appreciated that Eddie said ‘we’. As new as their relationship was, it had been born out of their friendship. And Eddie knew how much he loved Christopher. “After dinner?”

“Yeah,” Eddie agreed. “And then we’ll help him pack.”

Buck heaved himself to his feet, keeping a hand on Eddie as he moved. “I’m going to go see what Christopher wants for dinner.”

Eddie nodded, resting his head in his hands. “Okay.”

Buck rested his hand on top of Eddie’s head, before caressing him softly. “I’ll be right back.”

It was a few minutes later, that Eddie heard the unmistakable clank of Christopher’s crutches. Quickly brushing his eyes to rid them of the wetness, he lifted his head, smiling at his son. “Hey, bud,” he greeted him. “What are we having for dinner?”

“Chicken and waffles!” Christopher crowed. “Buck said I could pick.”

“That sounds like a good choice,” Eddie told him. “Do you want help?”

Christopher seemed to consider this for a minute before shaking his head. “There’s no boiling water involved, Dad. You might mess it up.”

Eddie put his hands to his heart, flopping back on the couch. “So cruel, my own flesh and blood.”

Christopher giggled as Buck put a hand on his head to guide him into the kitchen. “Think Dad can manage to set the table?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Christopher said. “He can do that.”

Chuckling, Eddie got to his feet and followed them into the kitchen.

Buck knew Eddie’s kitchen as well as his own. It took him no time at all to get set up for making dinner and then to have dinner on the table. As always, he was very patient with everything Christopher tried to help with.

As they finished eating, Eddie pushed his plate back. He’d picked at his dinner, drawing glances from Buck. Christopher hadn’t noticed, too busy chatting about school and the work he’d brought home. Buck pushing his plate to the center of the table drew the boy’s attention though and he put his fork down. “Am I in trouble?” he asked as Eddie stacked his plate on top of Buck’s.

“No, buddy, no of course not,” Buck hurried to assure him. “But your dad needs to talk to you.”

“Buck and I need to talk to you,” Eddie corrected. “But no one is in trouble. Okay?”

Christopher nodded, but he still didn’t look convinced. “Okay. I’m ready.”

Eddie bit his lip so he didn’t smile at Christopher. “What did your teacher tell you about the extra work sent home?”

“She said it was for me to do if we had no school on Monday. That people are getting sick and it’s dangerous.”

“Okay,” Eddie said. “We, Buck and I, talked about it. This virus is very dangerous. Buck and I still have to go to work, but we want to make sure you’re safe. And Abuela.”

Christopher looked from one man to the other. “I’m safe with you, Dad. And Buck.”

“I know you are, buddy,” Eddie assured him. “But Buck and I have to go to work so we can’t stay here and protect you.”

“Besides,” Buck broke in. “If you stay here, who’s gonna help Abuela with the hordes of cousins who about to descend on her?”

Christopher’s eyes lit up. “The cousins are going to be there?”

“And Pepa,” Eddie confirmed. “Not everybody, but a few of them.”

“I can do that,” Christopher decided. “I can help Bisabuela and Tia Pepa.”

“I know you can,” Eddie told him. “Can Buck help you pack while I clean up dinner?”

“Do I hafta go tonight?” Christopher asked.

“Not at all,” Eddie was quick to tell him. “We’ll take you over tomorrow morning.”

The boy’s head dipped slightly before he looked up at his father. “Can I sleep with you tonight?”

“I think my bed is big enough for three,” Eddie told him. “As long as neither of you mind sharing.”

Buck breathed a silent sigh of relief that he wasn’t going to be told to leave. “I think there’s enough room for Christopher between us.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Eddie said. “I need you to pack for a while, Christopher. Think you can show Buck where the suitcases are?”

“Yup!” Christopher bounced to his feet, grapping his crutches and heading towards the back of the house.

Eddie snagged Buck’s hand, pulling the taller man back towards him. “I wasn’t going to make you leave.”

“I understand if you want tonight to be just you and Christopher,” Buck replied.

Kissing Buck lightly on the lips, he said, “You’re family, too.”

Buck’s reply was cut-off as Christopher yelled from another room, “Buck! I can’t get them down.”

“I better go help him.” He started to walk away, then turned back. Putting his hand on the back of Eddie’s head, he pulled him close, pressing a firm kiss to the other man’s lips. With a wink, he left Eddie standing in the kitchen.

“Dios mío, ese hombre me va a matar,” Eddie muttered as he watched Buck walk away.

Eddie got to Christopher’s room in time to see Buck lift his...their son up and set him on it to squish it down. “Did you pack all of his clothes?” Eddie asked as Christopher giggles, rocking back and forth.

“Um, no?” Buck looked adorably confused as he apparently tried to remember how much he _had_ packed.

Motioning for Buck to move Christopher, Eddie opened the suitcase. It was stuffed full with both clothes and toys. “How about we do a second bag with toys?” Eddie suggested.

“Yay!” Christopher cheered.

By the time they got the bags sorted out, it was almost Christopher’s bedtime. Eddie hustled him through a bath and into pajamas before sending him to his room to pick out a book. He found Buck in the bedroom, sorting through Eddie’s drawers for something to wear. “I think some of your clothes are in the bottom drawer,” he commented, leaning against the door jam and watching.

Buck glanced over his shoulder, flashing a smile. “Thanks. Your pants would be a little short on me.”

“Not my fault you have ridiculously long legs, amenaza  
menace .”

The smile turned into a smirk as Buck turned back to the dresser. “You like my long legs.”

Eddie moved into the room, slipping his arms around Buck and pulling the younger man against him. “Never said that. But they are a little… hmmm… distracting… at times.” Buck tilted his head so Eddie had access to his neck and shoulder, humming contentedly as Eddie took full advantage. After a minute, Eddie pulled back. “Christopher is gonna be in here soon,” he pointed out.

“You are a cruel, cruel man, Edmundo Diaz,” Buck scolded.

“I’ll make it up to you,” Eddie promised.

“I’m holding you to that,” Buck told him as he dug clothes out of the bottom drawer and disappeared into the bathroom.

“Dad?” Christopher asked from the doorway.

“Hey, bud.” Eddie spun around and smiled at his son. “You ready for bed?”

Christopher nodded. “When am I gonna see you and Buck again?”

Eddie swooped down, picking Christopher up, and dropping him gently on the bed. He settled down next to the boy. “You know we love you, right?” Eddie asked. At Christopher’s nod, Eddie continued, “We aren’t punishing you. We just need you to be safe and that means going to stay with Abuela. We will call and FaceTime you every day.”

Buck came out of the bathroom, tossing his clothes into the laundry basket. “Your dad’s kidding, I’m sure we’ll be calling three times a day.”

Eddie rolled his eyes at Buck’s words. “That might be a _bit_ of overkill.”

“He’s fronting,” Buck whisper-spoke to Christopher as he lay down.

“You two pick a movie,” Eddie said as he got up, grabbing his own pajamas. “But not a long one.” As he ducked into the bathroom, he heard Buck and Christopher discussing their choices.

When he came back out, _Bolt_ was playing on his television and his two boys were curled up together. Buck’s eyes flicked up as he heard the click of a camera shutter. _Really_? he mouthed. Eddie shrugged in response before joining them on the bed.

Christopher snuggled in so he was partially on Eddie and partially on Buck. Eddie looked at them, smiling fondly at them. Buck flashed a smile in response.

The next morning was a hectic swirl of trying to make sure they all ate, bags were packed, and all of Christopher’s stuff made it into the truck. Eddie paused as Buck grabbed his own keys from the counter. “You’re not riding with us?”

“I want to,” Buck told him, “but I want to have my Jeep if we need it.” He tilted his head, pressing a kiss to Eddie’s lips. “Go take care of Christopher and I’ll see you at work.”

Eddie returned the kiss with emphasis. “Make sure you talk to Christopher.”

The boy in question was making his steady way out to Eddie’s truck when Buck caught up to him. “Hey, bud,” he said, stopping Christopher in his tracks. Buck crouched down so he was eye-level with Christopher. “Your dad is going to take you to Abuela’s house. I’ll talk to you later tonight.”

“You aren’t going with us?” Christopher asked.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen so I want to have my Jeep at work,” Buck explained. “I want to go with you, but we don’t have time to double back. Okay?”

Christopher’s face contorted into a few different expressions before he finally settled on acceptance. “Okay. But I’ll talk to you tonight, right?”

“Absolutely.” Buck picked Christopher up, settling him in the passenger seat of Eddie’s truck. He kissed the top of the little boy’s head before shutting the door. As he headed towards his Jeep, Eddie snagged him around the waist, pulling him in and kissing him. “Hey,” Buck said.

“Hey,” Eddie replied. “Drive carefully, I’ll see you soon.”

“You, too. You have my most precious cargo,” Buck replied.

“Back at cha,” Eddie told him. Reluctantly, he released Buck and they both continued to their vehicles.

Eddie parked in his abuela’s driveway and turned to look at Christopher. “You ready for this?”

“You’re gonna call every night?” Christopher asked in reply.

“Absolutely, Superman. At least one of us will call every night.”

“Okay then.” He opened the door, preparing to get out.

“Hang on, Christopher.”

“I can do it, Dad,” Christopher insisted and Eddie watched, heart in his throat as Christopher did do it.

Grabbing the suitcase and bag out of the backseat, Eddie crossed the yard to where Abuela grandma and Pepa waited. He waited until Christopher made his way up the steps, accepting hugs and kisses from his great-grandmother and aunt before continuing into the house where he was greeted by yells from his cousins. “He’s got his computer and tablet and all the chargers. Plus, toys and clothes. Oh, and his school assignments.”

Pepa patted his cheek after she took the bags from him. “You take care of yourself and Buck, sobrino, we’ll take care of your mijo.”

“Gracias, Tía,” Eddie replied. “We’ll call him tonight.” He started to turn away before saying, “I’m not sure how much he understands about what’s going on. He might have questions.”

“We have this, sobrino,” Pepa assured him.

With a wave, Eddie headed for his truck and the station.

Buck was still in the locker room when Eddie arrived and the dark-haired man quickly made his way to the glass enclosure. As he opened the door, Buck turned around to look at him. Whatever expression he had on his face caused the other man to quickly cross the room to him and within a minute of him walking into the locker room, Buck had enfolded him in his arms.

For a few minutes, Eddie basked in the feeling of being surrounded by Buck. Before, he’d never had the chance to be surrounded by a lover. He hadn’t realized how much he craved it until the first time Buck held him like this. Like Buck had him and he was protected as long as the blonde surrounded him. “I got you,” Buck murmured.

Eddie tilted his head, intending to say something, but Buck took it as an invitation. His mouth crashed into Eddie’s, sucking Eddie’s bottom lip into his mouth before swiping his tongue into the other man’s mouth. When they pulled apart, Eddie’s eyes were glazed and Buck didn’t look much better.

“Really? At work?” Chimney’s voice broke apart their embrace and Eddie headed towards his locker, but not before squeezing Buck’s hand.

“We were still fully dressed,” Buck protested as Eddie opened his locker.

“Yeah, but who knows where that…” Chimney waved his hand. “Display was going to take you.”

“Nowhere,” Eddie said as he grabbed his uniform and shut the locker door. “I just dropped Christopher off at Abuela’s.”

“Oh,” the Asian man’s tone dropped its teasing. “Sorry. I didn’t…”

Eddie paused with his uniform shirt half on and half off. “I know. It’s just been a rough morning.” He turned back to face his locker as he moved to finish dressing.

Buck watched as Eddie moved, appreciative as always, but knowing it wasn’t the time or place. Instead he asked, “Did Bobby hand out chores yet?” as he watched.

“No. He wants you guys upstairs as soon as Eddie is dressed,” Chimney replied, trying to ignore how Buck’s gaze was locked on Eddie.

Eddie finished buckling his belt and turned to face them, flashing a smile at Buck when he caught the other man looking. “Let’s go then.”

A couple of days later, Buck dropped down on the couch next to Eddie, taking advantage of the lounge being empty to sling his arm around the other man. “You wanna call Christopher?” he asked softly.

“Yeah.” Eddie lifted his head from where he’d rested it against Buck’s shoulder as soon as the other man sat down. “That sounds good.”

Buck dug his phone out of his pocket and considered it for a minute before opening FaceTime. Eddie smiled softly as they waited for it to connect.

“Hey, Daddy. Hi, Buck,” Christopher greeted them as soon as he picked up. He smiled and waved to see his two favorite people.

“Hi, Superman,” Eddie said as Buck made a face. “How was your day?”

“Did you save anyone today?” Christopher asked.

“A kitchen fire,” Buck answered, “and we got a little boy off a roof.”

Christopher giggled. “Why was he on the roof?”

“We have no idea,” Buck deadpanned.

“What did you do today, Superman?” Eddie asked, drinking in the sight of his son. His son, who looked happy and healthy.

Christopher grinned. “We made tamales!”

“Yeah?” Eddie asked. “Were they good?”

Christopher made a see-saw movement with his hand. “They weren’t bad. They weren’t as good as Buck’s though.”

Buck cheered, making Christopher giggle and Eddie smiled to see how happy the two of them were. He missed the nightly routine of curling up on the couch with them until Christopher’s bedtime. Still, being able to enjoy watching them interact raised Eddie’s spirits. Christopher was describing the tamales and then the city creation that he’d been working on with his cousins.

“Hey, Dad?” Christopher asked after he finished his story.

“Yeah, bud?” Eddie asked, lifting his head a bit.

“Are you gonna come get me soon?”

Eddie sighed, exchanging glances with Buck. “Bud, you know your dad wants to come get you as bad as you want him, too,” Buck told him.

“But you can’t?”

“Did Abuela explain how everything is closed?” Eddie asked. When Christopher nodded, he continued, “They’re doing that to keep people safe. And Buck and I just want you to be safe. Okay?”

Christopher nodded, but still looked a bit upset. “All right,” he agreed.

The three continued talking for a few more minutes before saying good night.

Buck pressed a kiss to the side of Eddie’s head after they hung up. “You want to go see him?” he asked.

“It’s not safe,” Eddie replied.

Buck nodded. “I got it.” Eddie looked at the expression on Buck’s face, but decided he didn’t want to question it right now.

All of the 118 was feeling the stress of the pandemic. They knew they had to be on duty and they didn’t begrudge their jobs, but all of them were worried about what they were exposing their families to. Chimney was worried about infecting Maddie if he caught it, but he also knew they were both healthy adults. Bobby and Athena had made the joint decision to send May and Harry to stay with Michael. Eddie had sent Christopher to Abuela’s with Buck’s support. And Hen spent most of her off time at Bobby and Athena’s so as not to risk Karen, Denny, or Nia. All of them missed their kids and their families.

Which led Buck to his current conversation with Bobby. “So, we can do it?” he asked as he handed Bobby the next ingredient he needed.

“Do you remember that conversation we had after the you _borrowed_ the fire truck for your… ah… amorous adventures?”

“Don’t?” Buck questioned.

“Exactly.”

“Is that a no?” Buck asked in confusion.

Bobby stopped what he was mixing in the skillet. “It means we have to look at the schedule for the next few days and plan a time.”

“Yes!” Buck fist-pumped. “Thanks, Bobby.”

The sound of the alarm pulled the 118 team from their current pursuits. As it blared out, the team dropped what they were doing and ran to grab their gear. As they piled into the truck, Bobby said, “We’re headed to a local superstore.”

Buck finished adjusting his headset and exchanged glances with Eddie. “That’s a lot of people to evacuate, Cap,” Eddie commented.

“It’s not on fire,” Bobby replied. “There’s an altercation?” He looked confused as if he wants to double check that.

“Are we just headed there for support?” Eddie questioned.

“We’re there to do whatever needs to be done,” Bobby answered.

The group piled out of the engine and ambulance, gathering around to wait for orders. Bobby was talking to dispatch as they waited. “Okay, people. The police are going to be a few more minutes. Let’s get in and see if we can break up this fight.”

The group exchanged glances, but followed Bobby into the store. A worker rushed up to them as they entered. “You’re not the police.”

“No, ma’am, but we’re here to help,” Bobby answered. “Which way?”

“Uh, they’re in HBA,” she answered.

“Where?” Hen asked.

“Health and… they’re in the personal products aisles,” she explained.

“What exactly is going on?” Bobby asked as they all hurried in the direction of the worker.

“We just got a shipment of hand sanitizer in. It went out pretty fast and there was just one bottle left. The women…” she shook her head, “they just attacked each other.”

“Hen, Chim, you’ll each take one of the assailants and check them for injuries. Buck, Eddie, see what you can do to separate them,” Bobby ordered. They could hear yelling and crashes, but didn’t see exactly what was making it until they rounded the last section of shelves.

“All this over some sanitizer?” Buck asked.

There were bottles strewn across the aisle and in the middle of the mess were two women. One of the women had the other by the hair with one hand and the other was trying to grab the bottle out of her hand.

“Uh,” Eddie said. “Should we hose them down?” When the rest of the team looked at him, he said, “I mean… I’m not stepping in there.”

Buck threw a look over his shoulder, tossing Eddie a smirk, as he stepped towards the two women. “Ladies, if you will just calm down, I’m sure we can…”

The woman who had the bottle screeched, “She’s not getting it. It’s mine!”

Buck stepped back as she grabbed one of the loose bottles and threw it at him. “Uh, Cap?”

Chimney hid a laugh. “Afraid of a girl, Buck?”

Buck rolled his eyes as Bobby said, “Eddie, Buck, think they can get in there and get them apart?”

Buck and Eddie locked eyes, silently deciding on a plan of action. After a minute both nodded before moving into action. “That is never not creepy,” Hen commented as Eddie turned and headed the other way.

Buck waited until he saw Eddie come around the corner to hold up three fingers. Counting down, they each approached the woman closest to them and put an arm around their waist. Eddie grabbed the hand of the woman holding the hank of hair and pressed down, forcing her to release her hold. As soon as Buck saw the woman he was holding was free, he picked her up and hauled her backwards. Eddie did the same with the woman he was holding.

Buck’s captive was yelling invectives in both Spanish and English and Buck blinked at the words coming from her mouth. “Lady, you aren’t helping your case.”

“What is going on?” Athena demanded from behind Buck.

Buck swung around, keeping his hold on the woman. “Hey, ‘Thena,” he greeted her. “You wanna cuff this lady?”

Athena finished hooking her sunglasses on her shirt and asked, “Do I want to know?”

“They were fighting,” Eddie offered from the other end of the aisle. “We just pulled them apart.”

Athena sighed, resisting the urge to shake her head at the two of them. “I got yours, Buck.” She motioned to one of the officers behind her. “Cuff the other one. And then we’ll get this sorted out.”

As she put the cuffs on the woman, who was slowly stopping to struggle, she took the bottle from her and handed it off to another uniform. “That’s _mine_ ,” the woman protested. “Give it back.”

“You haven’t paid for it yet,” Athena told her. “And it’s evidence now.”

After Athena and the other cops led the two women off, the 118 started to pitch in to clean up the aisle. “We’ll um… we’ll do that,” the worker who had led them to the aisle said. “Thank you though.”

Bobby motioned for his crew to pack up their equipment. “You heard the lady, folks. Let’s go.”

As they walked out of the superstore, Bobby moved so he was walking next to Buck. “Now.”

“What? Now?” Buck stopped walking and repeated, “Now?” again.

“Yes, Buck. Now,” Bobby confirmed.

Buck did a fist pump with a couple of dance steps before trying to shrug out of his turnout coat as he walked.

Eddie watched as his partner attempted to walk and strip himself of his turnout gear. “Buck? Don’t you want to wait until we get back to the station to do that?”

“I need my phone,” Buck responded, finally triumphantly getting enough of his gear off that he could reach his uniform pants.

“Why do you need your phone?” Eddie asked patiently.

Buck stopped, his phone in his hand, and his coat hanging half on and half off his body. “Uh…” he stammered.

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Never mind. Just don’t cause any fires.”

“No fires,” Buck agreed. With that reminder, Eddie walked back to put his equipment away on the truck while Buck started sending texts. When he joined the others at the truck, Bobby raised his eyebrows at him. Buck nodded. “We’re all set.”

Bobby turned to the rest of the team. “All right. Johnson, Davis, take the bus back to the station. Hen, Chimney, get in the truck.”

“What’s going on?” Hen asked, even as they all climbed into the truck.

“Buck had an idea,” Bobby explained, turning around so he could see them. “And, for once, I agreed with him. So, we’re going for a little ride.”

There was a babble of talk coming from the rest as Buck leaned back in his seat and Bobby turned back around. But neither man would tell them where they were going.

Eddie was looking out the window as they drove. Bobby or Buck had clearly given the driver directions as there was no pauses to question. Eddie straightened up as they turned onto a familiar street. “Buck?”

When he turned to look at Buck, the other man was grinning broadly. “Surprise?” Buck suggested.

“What did you… What’s…?” Eddie asked.

“Sooo, I thought it might do you and Christopher good to actually _see_ each other,” Buck said. He turned to look at Hen and Chimney. “And Hen, too. Chimney, we just thought you’d like to come.”

“It’ll be great to see them all,” Chimney said.

Buck grinned as the truck pulled to a stop in front of Eddie’s abuela’s house. Eddie was opening the door almost as soon as the truck stopped moving, all but running to the fence. Bobby rolled down his window, watching as Christopher made his way onto the porch, an older woman behind him. Buck was leaning out so he could watch his two favorite people.

Eddie gripped the top of the fence, wanting so badly to rush to Christopher and scoop him up in his arms. “Hi, Christopher,” he called.

Christopher was bouncing in place, waving his hard as hard as he could. “Daddy! Buck!” he yelled. “Hi!”

Eddie called back to him in Spanish, starting a conversation between himself, Pepa, and Christopher that flowed from Spanish to English and back again. It was clear that Christopher wanted to come to Eddie, but Pepa kept her hands on his shoulders, keeping him in place.

“Buck! Buck!” Christopher called when they ran out of things to say.

Eddie turned, not having realized that Buck hadn’t joined him. “Why are you still back there?” he asked.

Buck shrugged, his broad shoulders filling the door of the engine. “This is for you,” he answered.

Eddie’s expression softened as he saw how Buck was trying to give him time with his son. “He wants to see you just as much,” he told his partner.

Accepting the permission, Buck swung down from the engine, crossing over to where Eddie was standing. Eddie slid his arm around Buck’s waist as the blonde joined him. Up on the porch, Christopher’s grin widened when he saw Buck join his father.

“Hey, Buck!” Christopher cheered. “Abuela helped me make Buck’s potatoes!”

“Were they good?” Buck asked.

Christopher wavered his hand. “Not as good as yours.”

Buck stifled a laugh at the expression on Christopher’s face. “When we’re together again, I’ll make them.”

“When is that gonna be?” Christopher wanted to know.

Eddie’s hand tightened on Buck’s hip. “I don’t know, bud,” he answered when he was sure his emotions wouldn’t be clear in his voice. “We want you safe. That’s why we want you to stay at Abuela’s.”

“Okay.” Christopher still looked unconvinced, but he was willing to listen to his father, even if he didn’t like it. “Te amo, papá.   
Eu te amo Buck.”

“También te amamos mucho,” Eddie replied immediately, his heart squeezing at his son speaking Portuguese almost as easily as Spanish or English. He knew that Buck had patiently been teaching Christopher and the little boy was proud of how much he’d mastered. Right now, Eddie wanted nothing more than to gather his son and Buck into his arms and never let go. But he knew it was better for Christopher to remain where he was.

“Hey,” Buck said in a low voice. “I know the last thing you want to do is leave Christopher here.” He pressed a kiss to the side of Eddie’s head, uncaring that the whole team was watching him. “But we both know it’s the best decision.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s not killing me.”

“I know it is.” He turned so Eddie could see the engine. “We can come back. Do this again. But I’d like Hen and Bobby to see their kids.”

Eddie smiled tightly, but nodded. “I got it.”

“It’s just hard,” Buck finished. He waved to Christopher, who was watching them, his face tight as he tried to hear the two of them. Christopher waved back, his face breaking into a smile.

“We’re gonna go,” Eddie called to him, drawing another wave from the young boy. “Be good for Abuela and Pepa.”

“I will!”

Buck slipped his arm around Eddie’s shoulders, turning him back towards the engine. “We got this, Ed,” he whispered. “When this is over, we’ll be back together.”

Eddie allowed Buck to guide him back into the engine. Before they climbed in, both of them turned and waved at Christopher, who grinned and waved back.

“Next place?” Bobby questioned as they settled themselves in their seats. 

“That’s the plan,” Buck agreed. The engine pulled away and they rode in silence for a while. It was unusual for them to be so quiet, but they seemed to be too tired to chat. Eddie had taken a seat next to him as they got back in and leaned heavily against the taller man. Buck settled his headset over his ears before saying, “Hey, Hen. Surprise.”

“Surprise? What?” Hen jerked her head up from her contemplation of her hands. “Why are we on my street?”

As the engine slid to a stop in front of Hen’s house, Karen stepped out onto the porch with Nia in her arms and Denny beside her. “Go see them, Hen,” Buck urged.

Hen hurried down, stopping when she was still at least ten feet from the porch.

Eddie tipped his head so he could talk to Buck. “Was this your idea?”

Buck’s neck and cheeks flushed as he answered, “I knew you would feel better if you saw Christopher in the flesh. Figured Hen and…” he glanced at the front seat where Bobby was engaged with Chimney in conversation. Moving his headset so it didn’t pick up the conversation. “And I figured Bobby would like to see May and Harry.”

“You are too good to us, amenaza,” Eddie said softly.

“It’s something anyone would do,” Buck replied.

Eddie seesawed his hand, not unlike what Christopher had done and Buck bit his lip so he wouldn’t laugh at the other man. “Maybe, maybe not,” Eddie told him and then refused to talk about it more.

When Hen returned to the engine, she was smiling broadly. “Thank you, Buck,” she said as soon as she had her headset back on.

Buck ducked his head. “You’re welcome,” he said, his voice just audible.

“All right. Let’s head back to the house,” Bobby said.

“Um, we have one more stop,” Buck corrected. He leaned forward, whispering to the driver who smiled. “I think you’ll like this one, Cap.”

Bobby blinked in surprise when they pulled up by Michel’s apartment. “What did you do, Buck?”

“No reason you can’t see your kids, too, Bobby,” Buck said.

Bobby stared out the window for a moment, watching as the door opened and May and Harry came out of the door. Both of them waved when they saw the engine. “Thank you, Buck.” He swung out of the truck, heading towards the two children.

Buck leaned back against his seat, a small smile gracing his mouth. Beside him, Eddie knocked his shoulder into the other man.

Their arrival back at the station necessitated a flurry of activity as they put turnouts away, restocked the truck, and settled other things. Hen checked the ambulance, even though she knew the crew was well aware of their responsibilities. Bobby disappeared into his office and returned just as they were finishing up.

“What’s up, Cap?” Chimney asked as Bobby came over to survey his hard-working crew.

“Upstairs, everyone,” was all Bobby said in response.

The team settled in the lounge; Buck gripping Eddie’s hand as they sat together on the couch. Bobby took in the group’s tense posture and hastened to assure them, “Nothing is wrong, but I just got off the phone with the chief.”

“Why’s the…?” Buck started.

“Give me a chance, Buck,” Bobby said. He took a deep breath. “The chief is well aware that we’ve been on shift for forty-eight hours. And that we’ve been on shift more than off for the last month. He’s given us the next five days off.”

There was a silence for a minute then Buck whooped. “Sleep!” he cheered.

That broke the tableau and the rest of the group smiled. Partially at Buck’s reaction and partially at the relief that they could really rest.

Bobby clapped his hands to refocus their attention. “Okay so. The new shift will be here in fifteen minutes.” As the group began to get up, he added, “Let’s make sure everything is in place.” They began to drift off to check things over before they could leave and Bobby called, “Buck? Eddie?”

The two froze, exchanging glances. They hadn’t had time to get into any trouble in days with everything going on. “Yeah, Cap?” Buck asked after a moment.

“I just wanted to make sure you had somewhere to go,” Bobby replied. “I didn’t even think of it before this.”

Buck smiled, relaxing. “We do. We’ve been staying at my apartment when we’re not on shift so we don’t take a chance of contaminating the house.”

“All right,” Bobby said. “Just know you’re welcome at my place if you need.”

“No offense, Cap, but that would mean no…” Buck started. Eddie clapped his hand over Buck’s mouth before he could finish the sentence.

“Thanks, Bobby, we appreciate it,” Eddie told him. Grabbing Buck’s arm with his free hand, he said, “We’re just gonna go check the truck.”

They had just finished checking the truck when they saw their replacements start to trickle in. While Buck finished up what they were doing, Eddie swung into the locker room to grab both their bags and his truck keys.

He walked back out to find Buck chatting with one of the guys from the next shift. Holding up the bag so the blonde could see it, he asked, “You ready?”

Buck said his good-byes in answer, moving towards Eddie’s side and out of the firehouse.

By the time they reached Buck’s apartment, they were both dragging. Buck grabbed both their bags and headed for the entrance as Eddie finished locking the truck. Together they climbed the stairs, shoulders brushing as they moved, their tiredness pulling them down.

When Buck moved towards the kitchen after they entered, Eddie pulled him away. “Bed,” he instructed.

“Shower,” Buck countered.

Eddie mumbled an agreement, pushing Buck towards the back. As much as they wanted to just leave their clothes on the floor, they both knew it could lead to the spread of the virus. They both stripped in the laundry room, tossing their clothes into the machine immediately and starting it. Naked, they half-stumbled up the stairs and into the small bath off the loft bedroom.

Buck brushed his teeth while Eddie started the water, then they switched with Buck getting into the shower while the dark-haired man brushed his own teeth.

A minute later, Eddie joined him in the stall.

While they’d tested the limits of the shower in the past, Eddie knew from experience that unless they got _really_ cozy, they didn’t fit particularly well. Still he didn’t want to wait until Buck was done for his own shower.

Buck shifted position so Eddie had a bit more room and tilted his head to press a kiss to Eddie’s lips. Eddie immediately opened his mouth and they spent a few minutes lazily kissing, not intending to take it any further. It was a moment to reconnect, something they’d been sorely lacking over the last few days. Buck’s hands stroked down Eddie’s sides as they explored each other’s mouths.

Sooner than he would have liked, Buck pulled back. A look at Eddie’s face had him dipping back in for a shorter kiss. “Come on, babe,” he said when Eddie protested him stopping. “I’ll probably fall asleep in the middle of it if we start something.”

Eddie let himself be hauled around, even as he asked, “Since when are you the practical one?”

“Since I’m not going to truly enjoy it if I’m gonna fall asleep.” Buck pressed a kiss to the side of Eddie’s neck, even as he reached for the soap. “Let’s get some sleep and then I’ll fuck you or you can fuck me, whichever you’d rather.”

Eddie groaned, pressing back against Buck. Before the younger man, he couldn’t ever remember being turned on by dirty talk, but somehow every time Buck did it, he wanted more. “I’m holding you to that,” he said as Buck tapped his leg.

Eddie lifted it to allow Buck to wash it, counting on the other man not to let him fall even as Buck bent over. When Buck finished, after pressing a kiss between Eddie’s shoulder blades, he said, “Out.”

Once out, they dried off quickly before heading for the bed. Collapsing on it, Buck arranged the blankets as Eddie snagged his phone, checking the time. “I’m gonna call Christopher,” he said.

“Tell ‘im I said hi,” Buck mumbled, burrowing down into the bed.

Eddie settled his hand on Buck’s hip as he dialed Christopher. Buck rolled to press up against Eddie’s side as Christopher picked up and Eddie murmured to him. After promising his son that they would FaceTime with him some time after they woke up, Eddie plugged his phone in and rolled; Buck moving with him until they were both settled. Eddie tucked himself around Buck, wrapping his arms around the taller man and settling in. They might shift around as they slept, but Buck always started out the small spoon. Eddie fell asleep contemplating what he wanted when they’d recovered their energy.

**Author's Note:**

> There's at least two more stories I'm planning for this... but it's going to be a bit before I actually write them. I've got a couple other things planned before diving into this world again.


End file.
